Snubbed truck



R. B. COTTRELL Jul 13, 1954 SNUBBED TRUCK s Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 12, 1949 INVENTOR.

Poer/ Coifre/Z y 1954 R. B. COTTRELL 2,683,426

SNUBBED TRUCK Filed Feb. 12, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 EN TOR. J 1. 90456 2 j KO/d ZF/Z m BY R. B. COTTRELL July 13, 1954 sNUBBED TRUCK 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 12, 1949 INVENTOR.

Patented July 13, 1954 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE SNUBBED TRUCK Application February 12, 1949, Serial No. 76,149

4 Claims.

This invention relates to railway car trucks of the stabilized type.

The general object of the invention is to provide a truck with a novel arrangement of friction means between the side frames and the bolster for effectively damping various movements therebetween.

A more specific object of the invention is to design a truck wherein the bolster is provided with lateral extensions received within guide channels in the frames for interlocking engagement therewith, and wherein each extension is provided with inboard and outboard portions and intervening wedge means, the wedge means cooperatin with a spring-actuated shoe means disposed between said portions and engaged with the related column, the inboard and outboard portions being engageable with respective frames for limiting longitudinal movement of the bolster.

Another object of the invention is to design light weight skeletal lateral extensions on the bolster which conform to good manufacturing practices and possess the requisite strength.

A different object of the invention is to devise a truck wherein the shoes are arranged to engage the bolster extensions adjacent the outer ends thereof at points vertically spaced from the horizontal center plane of the bolster to obtain maximum leverage against the shoes and thereby effectively aiiord lateral stability of the bolster.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent from the specification and the drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of one end of a car truck incorporating one embodiment of the invention with a portion of the structure broken away to clarify the illustration;

Figure 2 is a view partly in section on the line 2-2 of Figure l, with the bolster shown in side elevation; I

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4--4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 illustrates a modification of the invention and is a view comparable to Figure l; V

Figure 6 is a fragmentary-side elevational view of a truck illustrating another modification of the invention;

Figure '7 is a sectional View taken on the line 11 of Figure 6 with the bolster shown in side elevation and the upper portion of the friction shoe andassociated wing broken away and shown in transverse vertical section to illustrate the cooperation and construction of the same; and

Figure a is a sectional view taken on the line 88 of Figure 6.

Describing the invention in detail and referring first to the embodiment illustrated in Figures l to 4, the truck comprises a side frame including tension and compression members 2 and 4 and a column 6 adjacent each end of the frame merging with the tension and compression members and defining a bolster opening 8 therewith. 1

The tension member beneath the bolster opening is of box section and comprises a widened top chord ill with a plurality of upstanding lugs l2, l2 interlocked with a spring plate M seated on said top chord l0 and positioning a group of coil springs l6, diagrammatically illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

A box-section bolster I8 is supported within the bolster opening 8 on the springs I6 and comprises spaced, generally horizontal top and bottom walls 20 and 22 interconnected by spaced substantially vertical side Walls 24 and an intermediate wall 25.

The bolster is provided at each side thereof with a transverse wing or arm 25 extending into a vertical channel 28 defined between inboard and outboard walls 30 and 32, and an interconnecting intermediate wall 34 of the associated column 6.

Each wing 26 is of skeletal construction to conform to good foundry practice and to lessen Weight and comprises spaced inboard and outboard generally vertical webs 36 and 38 extending transversely of the bolster and integral with the adjacent side wall 24 of the bolster. The walls 36 and 38 are spaced longitudinally of the bolster and interconnected by an intervening diagonal wall '40 which slopes upwardly from the bolster laterally outwardly therefrom toward the transverse wall 34 of the adjacent column 6. The wall 40 merges at its lower edge with the adjacent side wall 24 of the bolster in an area thereof disposed in the horizontal median plane of the bolster. l

A convex diagonal wedge surface 42 is provided on the underside of web 40, said surface 42 being engaged by a convex diagonal wedge surface 44 as at 46 on a' diagonal web 48 of a friction shoe The shoe 50 also has a generally vertical friction wall 52'donnected adjacent its upper end to the upper extremity of web 48, and engaging a friction surface 56, extending transversely of the frame, on a friction plate 58 mounted within the channel 28 on the transverse wall 34. The

front wall 52 of the shoe is connected adjacent its lower edge to a horizontal web 60 which is connected to the lower extremity of web 48 of the shoe. Web 60 provides a seat as at 62 for the upper end of an actuating spring 64, which extends between gussets 65 and 66 disposed beneath the shoe and interconnecting walls 36 and 38 with wall 24, respectively, as best seen in Figures 2 and 3, the spring being positioned by a depending boss 61 on Web 60.

The lower end of spring 64 seats on the top web 68 of a spring seat casting III, which straddles a secondary truss member 12 provided at the juncture of the column and the tension member. The casting has inboard and outboard webs l4 and 16 positioned at opposite sides of member I2 for interlocking engagement therewith to prevent movement of the casting transversely of the frame. The webs I4 and I6 are provided with outturned flanges seating on chord I and the casting is interlocked with the frame against movement transversely thereof by a boss I8 on chord I6 extending through an opening in a lug 80 connected to an end Wall 82 of the casting and integral with webs 68, 14 and I6 thereof.

In operation, the casting is urged by the spring 64 against chord Ill and the shoe against surface 42 on web 46 of the wing 26. The shoe slides on its surface 44 toward wall 34 of the column and engages its wall 52 with surface 56 on plate 58. It will be noted that web 40 and shoe 50 have relative sliding movement when the bolster oscillates laterally.

To prevent the sifting of dirt, such as cinders, from the top of the wing between the coacting surfaces on the shoe, the wing and the column, the webs 36, 38 and 40 together with the associated bolster side wall 24 are arranged to form a pocket 84 in the top side of the wing, the pocket being adapted to collect the dirt and being readily accessible from the bolster opening for periodic cleaning.

To disassemble this novel truck, the bolster is elevated to the top of opening 8. The spring plate I4 and springs I6 and 64 are removed. The shoes are retained in the bolster by the gussets 65 and 66. The castings III are then removed by lifting them off the respective members 12. The bolster is then lowered, and it will be observed that the vertical distance between the lower edges of the walls 3|] and 32 of each column and I the top of the adjacent member I2, with the castings III removed, is greater than the depth of the bolster end and of the wings, whereby the wings are accommodated through the widened lower portion 86 of the bolster opening.

It will be realized that by making the casting It removable, the outboard and inboard walls adjacent the bolster opening are of substantially equal length and are engageable with the inboard and outboard walls 36 and 38 of the associated wing in all vertical positions of the bolster whereby the bolster and the side frame are interlocked and incapable of separation while in service.

It will be noted that the area of engagement between the surface 42 on the diagonal wall 46 and the surface 44 on the diagonal wall 48 of the shoe 50 occurs as at 46. This area of engagement is disposed above the horizontal medial plane of the bolster and in vertical alignment with the axis of the actuating spring '54. Itwill be observed that the area of engagement is aligned with the axis of the spring even when the bolster cants laterally inasmuch as the surface 42 of each wing slides on surface 44 of the related shoe. By arranging the area of engagement between the shoe and the associated bolster extension or wing in alignment with the axis of the spring 64, there is no tendency on the part of the spring to cant the shoe with respect to the friction surface 56 on the column so that full face engagement between the shoe and the column is always had during various movements of the bolster.

A modification of the invention is illustrated in Figure 5 wherein parts corresponding to those in Figures 1 to 4 are identified by corresponding numerals. The present embodiment differs from the previous one in that the widened top chord Iii of the tension member '2 is provided with integral inboard and outboard upstanding flanges I00 and I02 for positioning the group of coil springs I5 supporting the bolster IS in the bolster opening 8. The shoe 59 is actuated by the spring 54 which at the lower end is positioned on the top chord II) by means of an upstanding boss I64 integral with chord Ill.

The web 49 of the wing merges at its lower end with the adjacent bolster side wall 24 adjacent the lower end thereof.

The inboard wall 30 of the column is shorter than the outboard wall 32 and terminates at its lower edge as at I06 to accommodate disassembly of the bolster with respect to the side frame below the lower edge of the inboard wall and above the upper edge of the inboard flange I69, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

Another form of truck is shown in Figures 6 to 8, inclusive, the truck comprising a side frame including tension and compression members I20 and I22 and a column I24 adjacent each end of the frame interconnecting the tension and compression members and defining a bolster opening I26 therewith within which is received an end of a bolster I28, said bolster end being supported on a plurality of truck springs I30 seated at their lower ends on a spring plate I62 interlocked with a plank I34 extending transversely of the truck and interconnecting the frames thereof as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art. The plank I34 is interlocked with the widened top chord I36 of the tension member I20.

The end of the bolster may be of box section and may have top and bottom walls I49 and I42 and spaced generally vertical side walls I44 and an intermediate wall I46 interconnecting the top and bottom walls. The bolster may be provided at each side thereof with a lateral extension or wing I48, including inboard and outboard generally vertical walls I50 and I52 integral with the adjacent side wall I44 and extending transversely of the bolster and spaced longitudinally thereof. Ledges I54 and I55 are formed on the adjacent sides of the walls I56 and IE2, said ledges sloping upwardly laterally outwardly of the bolster and-at their lower ends merging with the adjacent side wall I44 of the bolster in an area intermediate the top and bottom edges thereof.

The extension is received within a substantially vertical channel I50 (Figure 8) in the adjacent column, said channel being defined by spaced inboard and outboard walls I62 and I64 of the column and an intermediate transverse wall I66 interconnecting the walls I52 and I54. The ledges I54 and I55 provide a pair of downwardly facing coplanar wedge surfaces I58 and I'll! (Figure 7) sloping upwardly toward 'a friction surface I12 on a wear plate I14 mounted on web I66 of the column.

A friction shoe H6 is received within the extension. lhe shoe is a cuplike structure and comprises a rear wall I'm extending between the ledges, the rear wall I'IS merging at its upper end with a generally horizontal wall I80, wall I80 being connected at its extremity remote from the rear wall with the upper end ofagenerally vertical front or friction wall I82, the friction wall I82 engaging surface I12 on the column. The shoe is provided with side walls I84 and I86 connected with the front and rear walls of the shoe and presenting at their upper edges diagonal coplanar wedge surfaces I38 and I90 engaging surfaces I68 and H0, respectively, on ledges I54 and I56. The shoe is urged into wedge engagement with the ledges and along the ledges against surface I12 on the column by a spring I92 which extends between the walls of the shoe and at its upper end seats against the underside of the top wall I80 of the shoe and at its lower end seats against a substantially horizontal shelf I94 which extends between the side walls I50 and I52 of the wing and merges therewith and with the adjacent bolster side wall of the bolster.

It will be noted that each wing thus comprises spaced inboard and outboard portions and that the walls and ledges of each portion are arranged to provide pockets I94 and I96 open through the top of the bolster, the pockets communicating with the space between the inboard and outboard portions and being adapted to collect dirt, such as cinders, and to sift the dirt into the space between the inboard and outboard portions of the wing whereby the dirt is prevented from entering between the wedge surfaces on the shoe and the ledges and the column and abrading the same. It will be understood that the shoe engages the ledges in an area above the horizontal medial plane of the bolster and that the points of engagement between the shoe and the ledges are in alignment with the axis of the shoe-actuating spring transversely of the frame. The friction surface I12 on the column is shown in the drawings as being provided on a wear plate which is mounted on wall I66; however, this plate may be eliminated and the surface may be provided directly on wall I66.

In order to disassemble the truck shown in Figures 6 to 8, the bolster is elevated to the top of the bolster opening whereupon the springs I 30, plate I32 and plank I34 may be removed. The bolster is then lowered to the bottom of the bolster opening and it will be noted that the inboard wall l22 of each column is terminated at its lower edge a sufficient distance above the chord I36 of the side frame tension member in order to accommodate the wing portion between the lower edge of the inboard wall of the column and the top chord I36 of the side frame.

I claim:

1. In a railway car truck, a side frame having tension and compression elements and an upright column with spaced inboard and outboard walls and an intervening web, said walls extending along the upper half of the column, a bolster spring-supported from the frame and having a wing extending into said column between the walls thereof, said wing comprising spaced inboard and outboard walls disposed adjacent respective walls of said column and integral with said bolster, spaced ledges between the walls of said wing, a wedge surface on each ledge, a friction element disposed between said ledges and in wedge engagement with the surfaces thereon and in engagement with said web, a shelf between said walls of said wing integral therewith and with said bolster and spaced below said ledges, and resilient means housed within said shoe and extending between said ledges and reacting between said shoe and said shelf.

2. In a railway car truck, a side frame comprising tension and compression elements and a column having spaced inboard and outboard walls and an intervening web with a friction surface extending transversely of the frame, said walls extending along the upper half of the column, a bolster spring-supported from said frame and having a wing extending between said column walls, said wing comprising a pocket defining bottom wall and inboard and outboard walls, said inboard and outboard walls having a plurality of wedge surfaces sloping upwardly toward said web and spaced transversely of the frame, said wedge surfaces being disposed vertically above said bottom wall, a shoe received between said surfaces and in wedge engagement therewith and in frictional engagement with said surface on said web, resilient means extending between said wedge surfaces and reacting against said shoe and against said bottom wall, the latter being spaced vertically with respect to said shoe and said wedge surfaces, and passage means in said shoe and said bottom wall accommodating the removal of foreign matter through said shoe and out of said wing.

3. In a railway car truck, a side frame comprising spaced columns, each column having spaced inboard and outboard walls and a transverse wall interconnecting the inboard and outboard walls, a bolster spring-supported from the frame between said columns and comprising a wing at each side thereof entered between the inboard and outboard walls of the adjacent column, each wing comprising a pair of inboard and outboard generally vertical webs disposed alongside the inboard and outboard walls of the associated column, ledges formed on adjacent sides of each pair of webs and extending widthwise transversely of the inboard and outboard walls of the associated column and extending at their inner ends from adjacent the bottom of the bolster and at their outer ends to adjacent the top of the bolster and sloping upwardly toward the transverse wall of the adjacent column, said ledges defining upwardly facing pockets communicating with a space defined between adjacent ledges, a friction shoe within each wing in wedge engagement with the ledges thereof and in frictional engagement with the transverse web of the adjacent column, each shoe being hollow and extending through the space between adjacent ledges, each shoe being open through its sides above the related ledges to communicate with the pockets defined by the latter, and spring means compressed between each shoe and said bolster, the openings through said shoes permitting sifting of dirt from said pockets through the shoes and out of said wings.

4. In a railway car truck, a side frame comprising tension and compression elements and a column having spaced inboard and outboard walls and a transverse wall interconnecting said inboard and outboard walls, said walls extending along the upper half of the column, a bolster spring-supported from the frame and having a wing extending into the column and embraced by said walls, said wing having inboard and out- 7 board webs having integral spaced ledges sloping upwardly toward said transverse wall, a shoe disposed intermediate said webs having s'p'a'ce'd surfaces in engagement with said ledges, 'a bolster wall spaced vertically from said shoeand ledges and forming an integral part of said wing, a spring within the shoe compressed between the shoe and said bolster wall for urging the shoe into Wedge engagement with the ledges and against said transverse wall, said shoe surfaces having tangential engagement with said ledges along areas normally located a substantial distance closer to said transverse wall than to the innermost ends of said ledges, the axis of said spring means being aligned with said areas longitudinally of the bolster.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITEDSTATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,338,988 Webb Jan. 11, 1944 2346;860 'Mohl Apr. 18, 1944 10 '2;348,453 Cou'oh May 9, 1944 2,481,475 Lehrman Sept. 6, 1949 

